Skatherin Orvax
Skatherin Orvax is a charismatic but otherwise unremarkable young Sith; one whose career has been perpetually weighted down by the dishonor brought upon his lineage through the treasonous actions of his father, Necus Orvax. With his prospects for advancement virtually nonexistent, he eventually came to accept the position of an instructor at the Sith Academy on Korriban. Although he typically sees his charges made into fierce warriors, he is rather notorious among the Academy's students for his refusal to suffer any acolyte he labels as weak. Biography Childhood The youngest of the distinguished Sith noble family of House Orvax, Skatherin was born during the last years of the Great War. The only child of Necus Orvax, he was championed as a prodigy from birth. As the ongoing conflict demanded his attention almost constantly, Necus frequently left Skatherin's care in the hands of his personal attendants. Once the Treaty of Coruscant was passed, however, Necus made an effort to take a more active role in his son's life. He frequently tutored Skatherin in the fields of Sith history and philosophy. He also introduced his son to the art of lightsaber combat during his early adolescent years, believing it would give him an advantage over his peers once he was of age to face the trials to become Sith. Apprenticeship Skatherin received his initial training at the Sith Academy on Dromund Kaas. The dueling lessons he received from his father enabled him to easily outmatch his fellow acolytes, and even hold his own against his instructors. He continued to outperform most of his class, and was eventually transferred to the Korriban Academy. Upon arriving to the Sith holy world, Skatherin was disgusted by the presence of alien and slave acolytes in the Academy. He was assigned to the tenured Overseer Harkun, who often showed favoritism to Skatherin due to his blood purity and shared in his disdain for the low-born acolytes. Within a year, he had become something of a celebrity among the Academy's students. He exploited this status to compel lesser acolytes into doing his bidding, promising them favor with their instructors, only to dispose of them once they were no longer useful to him. As he inched closer to completing his trials, he garnered the attention of the famed Darth Arctis, a veteran Sith Lord who supervised all instructors at the Academy. It was through him that Skatherin was administered his final trial: he was to venture into a catacomb system beneath the Valley of the Dark Lords, which had not been trespassed since the Great Hyperspace War, and retrieve a holocron that once belonged to Ludo Kressh, whom Arctis was descended from. Skatherin enlisted a handful of slave acolytes to explore the catacombs before he entered; all but one of his them fell victim to the traps the catacombs had been laid with. Having observed his pawns' failures, he was far better prepared to navigate the ancient labyrinth. The catacombs still proved precarious, however; while taking the holocron from its resting place, Skatherin triggered a lightning-based trap, scarring his face on one side. When he finally emerged from the catacombs, the sole surviving acolyte he had sent in prior congratulated him on his success. He unwisely made a quip about the electrical scarring that Skatherin had endured, prompting him to throw the acolyte off the side of a nearby cliff. Skatherin personally delivered Kressh's holocron to Arctis in his office on the third floor of the Academy, earning the Sith Lord's respect. Arctis further commended him for his resourcefulness, revealing to a surprised Skatherin that he was aware of his manipulation of the slave acolytes, before declaring him Sith. He explained that he had decided to leave his position at the Academy, and would take Skatherin along as his apprentice. Entranced by the power that would be at his disposal, he proudly accepted a place at the Sith Lord's side. Return to Korriban When Necus was defeated in a Kaggath that his envious brother had declared, Skatherin made no attempt to move against his uncle; he had been unnerved by Nergal since he was a child, and feared the consequences of incurring his wrath. Many of the Sith, including Arctis himself, viewed Skatherin's response as an act of cowardice. From that point forward, he began falling out of favor with his master. His reputation soured further when the humiliated Necus was declared a rogue, having spread extremist rhetoric that spoke in favor of anarchy. Not long after, Skatherin received word from Arctis that he was to be released from his service but would not be named a Lord of the Sith. Despite that, he did provide something of a severance by offering to arrange for Skatherin to receive a position on the staff of the Sith Academy on Korriban. Left with no alternative, he accepted. Skatherin was reunited with a familiar face at the Academy as he was assigned to serve as an assistant overseer under Harkun. Although he was at first indifferent toward him, Harkun eventually grew to sympathize with Skatherin, as his own traditionalist views placed him in a similar predicament. As time went by, Skatherin also adopted Harkun's tendency to use the aliens and slaves who came under their charge as an outlet for venting his frustrations. Some years later, Skatherin was elevated to become an overseer himself. Any acolytes of low origin who were unfortunate enough to find themselves placed under his tutelage were belittled and mistreated. He became known for his cruel response to that which he saw as an unsatisfactory performance in his classes; any acolyte he deemed unworthy or weak found themselves thrown as fodder to the deranged inhabitants of the planet's tombs, or killed outright. However, those who survived Skatherin's trials were often molded into ideal candidates — hardened, lethal warriors — for Sith Lords in search of worthy apprentices. Skatherin eventually became quite comfortable in position as an academy instructor, even admitting on one occasion that he was fond of his work. Personality and traits Skatherin is an ambitious conniver who fancies himself worthy of a much higher station. Not unlike many of his relatives, he is a conservative who holds a great deal of reverence towards the traditions of the Sith. Something of a historian, he enjoys spending much of his leisure time in the library. The stagnant state of his career is due in part to his status as the son of a reviled traitor, as well as his own political standings. The difficulty to advance has pushed Skatherin to become embittered and somewhat unfriendly. He has a disdain for aliens, as well as the slave caste. He makes no effort to conceal his prejudice, and is perfectly willing to act openly impolite and cruel toward them. He harbors an especially intense hatred for the Twi'lek and Togruta species. He does not reserve that indifference solely for aliens, however, and will mistreat any individual he labels as weak. Skatherin is a stern and rather demanding teacher; he is known for his policy of zero tolerance on failure. Many an acolyte have suffered at his hands for that which he determines any show of incompetence or weakness. His methods are effective, however, as any acolytes who survive his trials have gone on to become powerful Sith. Category:Characters Category:Sith Lords